Long Beach moves toward banning foam food containers in next 6 months

By
Courtney Tompkins, Long Beach Press Telegram

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

There are a few ways in which Long Beach earned the moniker “The International City.” To name a few, the city is home to a world-class aquarium, an award-winning municipal airport and the iconic Queen Mary.

But there is something else Long Beach is quickly becoming know for, and it isn’t so glamorous.

Just last week, dozens of plastic industry leaders descended on Long Beach to sift through the sandy shores and observe microplastic pollution filling the city’s local beaches and waterways, a project led by Algalita, a marine research firm based in Long Beach.

Executive Director Katie Allen was among many environmental activists who pleaded with city officials Tuesday to enact a ban on expanded polystyrene, commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam, and to do it soon.

The ubiquitous product is often used in packaging materials, and most commonly seen in cheap take-out containers used by local restaurants and coffee shops.

“We’re literally changing the composition of our ocean and our beaches,” she said. “These microplastics soak up toxins and may be entering our local food chains. They become bite-sized morsels for the fish, turtles and other animals living in our ecosystem.”

“Beyond that, the individuals in our communities feed their families fish collected from this highly polluted area,” she continued.

Allen cited a nine-month study conducted in Long Beach that examined plastic debris in the area; it found phasing out polystyrene to be a high priority. In 10 liters of sand on the south side of the Peninsula, researchers found 2,100 pieces of expanded polystyrene, she said.

First District Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez is among those leading the charge to ban polystyrene products citywide, and the City Council backed her on Tuesday in voting to create a new law, which will be crafted after discussions with business owners, environmental organizations and other stakeholders.

Some businesses, like Berlin and Lola’s Mexican Cuisine have already phased out polystyrene products, earning them high marks by the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, which has created a list of Ocean Friendly Restaurants based on their level of environmental awareness.

According to a 2015 report by the World Economic Forum, experts say if people keep producing and failing to properly dispose of plastics at predicted rates, plastics in the ocean will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050.

“That’s just staggering to think about,” Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said on Tuesday. “Considering we are at the mouth of two rivers, I think we should be leading on this.”

The details of a local law, including the implementation, enforcement and potential penalties still need to be ironed out, but City Attorney Charles Parkin said Long Beach would likely start with an ordinance similar to Pasadena’s, and go from there.

Gonzalez asked for a proposed ordinance to come back to the council for a vote by June.